Modular electrical connector structure

Abstract

This invention relates to modular connector structures that are shaped to receive the edges of printed circuit boards and that have contacts spaced a unit distance apart so that they can engage, separately, each of the contact pads, or fingers, spaced apart by the same unit distance along the surfaces of the boards. In particular, it relates to connector structures that have conversely shaped interlocking parts at their ends to interlock end-to-end with similar structures to form a substantially self-supporting connector that can have any desired number of contacts, each spaced an integral multiple of the same unit distance from all of the contacts on all of the modules.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A modular electrical connector structure comprising: (a) first and second side walls and a bottom wall molded of insulating material to form an insulating support member having top and bottom surfaces, and first and second ends spaced apart in a first, or longitudinal, direction;   (b) a projection extending from the first end and comprising a first slide extending across the first end and having a dovetail-shaped cross section with predetermined dimensions;   (c) a recess in the second end comprising a second slide extending across the second end parallel to the first slide and having a cross-sectional shape that is the complement of the cross-sectional shape of the first slide, whereby the first slide, if on a different such support member, would interlock firmly with the second slide;   (d) first and second bearing surfaces adjacent the first and second slides, respectively, and facing in longitudinally opposite directions;   (e) a plurality of contact locations evenly spaced a unit distance apart along the longitudinal direction of the support member, the longitudinal distance from the first bearing surface to the next-adjacent one of the contact locations in the direction toward the second end of the support member plus the longitudinal distance from the second bearing surface to the next-adjacent one of the contact locations in the direction toward the second end of the support member being equal to the unit distance.   
     
     
       2. The structure of claim 1 in which the slides start at the top surface of the support member and extend to a common level part of the way toward the bottom surface thereof. 
     
     
       3. The structure of claim 1 in which the distance the first and second slides extend across the respective ends is less than the total distance thereacross. 
     
     
       4. The structure of claim 3 in which both of the slides start at one surface of the support member and the first slide terminates at an end surface thereof and the second slide terminates at a floor coplanar with the end surface of the first slide. 
     
     
       5. The structure of claim 1 in which the first and second side walls are spaced apart to define a main slot therebetween extending the entire longitudinal distance of the support member. 
     
     
       6. The structure of claim 5 in which the contact locations comprise contact slots extending into the side walls in juxtaposed pairs, each of the contact slots communicating with the main slot. 
     
     
       7. The structure of claim 6 comprising, in addition, resilient contacts in the contact slots, each of the contacts comprising a portion that protrudes resiliently into the main slot. 
     
     
       8. A modular electrical connector structure comprising: (a) an insulating support member comprising first and second side walls and a bottom wall, top and bottom surfaces, and first and second ends spaced apart in a first, or longitudinal, direction;   (b) a projection extending from the first end and having a cross section with predetermined dimensions and extending laterally in a second direction across the first end, the cross-sectional dimension of the projection perpendicular to the longitudinal direction being smaller at a location adjacent the first end than at a location longitudinally spaced from the first end;   (c) a recess extending into the second end and having a cross section conversely shaped with respect to the cross section of the projection with dimensions compelementally matching the predetermined dimensions of the projection and extending laterally in the second direction, whereby the projection, if on a different such support member, would interlock firmly longitudinally with the recess;   (d) first and second bearing surfaces adjacent the projection and the recess, respectively, and facing in longitudinally opposite directions;   (e) a plurality of contact locations evenly spaced a unit distance apart along the longitudinal direction of the support member, the longitudinal distance from the first bearing surface to the next-adjacent one of the contact locations in the direction toward the second end of the support member plus the longitudinal distance from the second bearing surface to the next-adjacent one of the contact locations in the direction toward the second end of the support member being equal to an integral multiple of the unit distance.   
     
     
       9. The structure of claim 8 in which the integral multiple is 1. 
     
     
       10. The structure of claim 8 in which the ends of the support member are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof and the first and second bearing surfaces comprise portions of the first and second ends, respectively. 
     
     
       11. The structure of claim 10 in which the projection and the recess are adjacent the top surface, and the first bearing surface extends on each side of the projection and between the projection and the bottom surface, and the second bearing surface extends on both sides of the recess and between the recess and the bottom surface. 
     
     
       12. The structure of claim 8 in which the side walls are spaced apart in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to define a main slot therebetween open at the top surface and at each of the ends and closed by a central portion of the bottom wall, the contact locations comprising slots extending into the side walls and opening into the main slot in juxtaposed pairs. 
     
     
       13. The structure of claim 12 in which the slots extending into the side walls are contact slots and they extend into the side walls from the bottom surface of the support member. 
     
     
       14. The structure of claim 13 comprising, in addition, bent wire contacts resiliently held in the contact slots. 
     
     
       15. The structure of claim 14 in which one end of each of the wire contacts extends below the bottom surface of the support member and a portion of each of the wire contacts within its respective contact slot bears resiliently against a surface of the support member to retain said end of that contact in alignment with the corresponding end of the other contacts. 
     
     
       16. The structure of claim 15 comprising barrier means between the main slot and the portion of each contact slot closest to the top surface of the support member to prevent that portion of each of the contacts from being pivoted toward the main slot. 
     
     
       17. The structure of claim 16 in which the main member of each contact comprises a first portion within the respective contact slot and substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface thereof and a second portion outside of the support member and bent to extend substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the support member and away from the bent member. 
     
     
       18. The structure of claim 15 in which the wire contacts are generally J-shaped and comprise a main member terminating in said one end, a bent member protruding into the main slot, and a bight joining the bent member to the main member. 
     
     
       19. The structure of claim 18 in which the main member of each contact comprises a first portion within the respective contact slot and substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface thereof and a second portion outside of the support member and extending in the same direction as the first portion of the main member but laterally offset therefrom in the direction toward the bent member. 
     
     
       20. The structure of claim 14 in which the support member comprises a plurality of barriers extending from the bottom surface of the support member and parallel to the ends of the support member, each of the barriers being between two pairs of the slots extending into the side walls. 
     
     
       21. The structure of claim 20 in which one end of each of the contacts extends below the bottom surface of the support member and is bent to extend substantially parallel to said bottom surface and not to extend farther from said bottom surface than each of the barriers does.